This very developer did a project (235 W Van Buren) much closer to the financial district that gave him a lot of sleepless nights about whether he was ever going to sell enough units to get out from under his construction loan.

He's out on a long limb here (though Lend Lease is holding a net nearby), but you think he should climb out on thin air. On a site that has no transit access of any kind, and is served by only one 66-foot-wide street. Once the Great Recession's backlog in new household formation has cleared, where do you think this endless procession of millennial purchasers will come from?

235 has shitty layouts and lots of "2 bedrooms" or "1 bedrooms" with those fake fraud half wall bedrooms.

Funny, but you do know you guys could have just walked a few blocks to the Red Line and gotten to Chinatown faster/just as easily right?

Of course. That was how we intended to come back up north because the late evening water taxi schedule was even worse than the early evening schedule. We had wanted to do the water taxi because of how cool it would have been to have gone to Chinatown on the river.

And to keep this on topic, all of the activity on the river helps explain why this project is so river focused and isn't so much worried about views way over there of the Lake.

Of course. That was how we intended to come back up north because the late evening water taxi schedule was even worse than the early evening schedule. We had wanted to do the water taxi because of how cool it would have been to have gone to Chinatown on the river.

And to keep this on topic, all of the activity on the river helps explain why this project is so river focused and isn't so much worried about views way over there of the Lake.

Haha, good. I love taking the water taxi to and from Chinatown. I've shown some of my friends visiting town and some friends I made who just moved to Chicago a handful of months ago. They all loved it and way preferred it to taking the train.

Haha, good. I love taking the water taxi to and from Chinatown. I've shown some of my friends visiting town and some friends I made who just moved to Chicago a handful of months ago. They all loved it and way preferred it to taking the train.

I just took the water taxi yesterday from the Wrigley Building to Chinatown for Dim Sum and back. It was an amazing experience and so relaxing. I can't wait to do it again

It's a rare thing to get a chance to develop 14 acres along the Chicago River, rarer still when that land is a short hike from Willis Tower. Done right, such an undertaking can provide a carefully-choreographed ensemble of buildings that lets people walk to work and frames lively streets, attractive parks and a continuous riverwalk.

It's going to be fascinating, or frustrating, to see if that vision is realized in Riverline, the big South Loop project that lines the river's east bank between Harrison Street and Roosevelt Road. A preview, which came Monday as Mayor Rahm Emanuel and developers broke ground, was encouraging.

With an estimated price tag of $1.5 billion, Riverline will consist of more than 3,600 apartments, condominiums and townhouses. It's one of the largest chunks of land assembled for development in downtown Chicago since the 28-acre Lakeshore East opened north of Millennium Park in 2005. Combine it with the anticipated transformation of the nearby old main post office into offices, as well as Related Midwest's yet-to-be-disclosed plans for homes, stores and offices on the 62-acre riverfront parcel south of Roosevelt, and you have the makings of a South Side riverfront revival.

The Riverline master plan, by the Chicago office of Perkins+Will architects for developers CMK Cos. of Chicago and Australia-based Lendlease, promises to invigorate a weed-infested riverfront site that's been dormant since the 1971 demolition of the Grand Central Station passenger railroad terminal.

anyone who thinks that 241,000 ppsm isn't dense enough for this parcel simply has no idea what they're talking about.

I Googled it and the article I pulled said 13 acres. I think the latest ones are still saying 14 acres. We probably should also include half the acreage of the surrounding streets as well to account for the fact that streets are included when looking at ppsm in a larger neighborhood/city context. That said, even if this development were double the landmass, it would still be in excess of 100,000 ppsm. That certainly satisfies my own appetite for density.

While we're on the topic, does anyone know of good studies or reading on residential density in terms of infrastructure cost and livability? I feel like numbers and research would be a good thing to have on hand when talking to the anti-density crowd (i.e. NIMBYs).

While we're on the topic, does anyone know of good studies or reading on residential density in terms of infrastructure cost and livability? I feel like numbers and research would be a good thing to have on hand when talking to the anti-density crowd (i.e. NIMBYs).

Data is always good, but your plan makes the false assumption that NIMBYs are reasonable.

Just had the pleasure of shooting shit with an Ozinga driver yesterday who was delivering to one of my projects yesterday who was lamenting they didn't get Vista, but said they had Riverline. I guess Prairie has the contract on Vista, we will see for sure soon!

Are there two one one buildings under construction now? I know they kept saying phase one was a taller rental building and a shorter condo with the associated townhomes, but is the condo tower waiting on presales or something? If so, which tower in the master plan is the condo building they plan to start next?